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Croc

Jumping with artificial knees

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I might know somebody that has met somebody whoose mother one day talked to somebody, that told her a story about somebody doing stuff like this... what do you want to know?
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To absent friends

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Can it be done? My doctor says I can do anything I did before but I don't believe him.
"Here's a good specimen of my own wisdom. Something is so, except when it isn't so."

Charles Fort, commenting on the many contradictions of astronomy

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I slept at a Holiday Inn last night, so I'll pass on that a friend who had one knee done was told that skydiving and running on pavement were pretty much the only two things that she did that she couldn't continue to do.

She quit, but eventually started again, but only after I lost contact. I don't know if she continued. I've sent her a message asking her to weigh in on this if she has anything to contribute

Wendy P.
There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

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jumpsalot-2

Can you run a hundred yards full speed and not care ?



Don't know about the artificial knees, but I have had major surgery on one knee (crushed the top of the tib) and was told to not run on it. I could resume normal activity, but running would not be good for it.
Dano

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I have a little bit of insight here. I'm a family physician and had a right total knee replacement in 2008. I've jumped 20 or so times since then, but I ultimately gave it up. I'm also a single mom, and my son was young at the time, which contributed more to my decision to give up skydiving than my knee replacement did.

As far as skydiving with a knee replacement, the risk is not so much the repetitive stress of landings, but more about how bad you could screw it up if you were to...say...Land badly enough to break your femur. The risk is disability! But the risk of skydiving without a knee replacement is also disability...or death. I don't ket my knee replacement dictate mt activities too much.

My thought were along these lines: right now, after TKA, my knee is great, and I can do most things I want to do. Is skydiving worth the risk of not being able to ride my bike...or hike up pinnacle mountain...or snow ski every winter. In my mind, the risks outweighed the benefits. My 1000 jumps were fun, and I'll remember them fondly. Sometimes I bat around the thought of jumping again. I don't think it'll happen.

Edited to add: yes. You can run full speed downwind without anY
Quote

difficulty with proper rehab after TKA. I know this. You are not limited in what you CAN do. Your limitations are dictated by what you are willing to risk. the consequences if injury are much greater after TKA.

--
A conservative is just a liberal who's been mugged. A liberal is just a conservative who's been to jail

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jumpsalot-2

With that said, how would you run out a medium speed landing or a downwinder ( short of being sure of a good sliding landing ). Things don't always come together the way we want during landings.



It was the repetitive motion of running that was frowned upon, not just a short run out. My surgery was 15 years ago and since then I've probably made 1,500 jumps or more without any discomfort. I did do a boot camp several years ago that involved too much running and had to stop because of the pain. Skydiving, no problem. Running no.
Dano

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Croc

Can it be done? My doctor says I can do anything I did before but I don't believe him.



What size canopy do you use? Or, what were you using before the surgery? It can't hurt to upsize so you wouldn't have to run out the landings as much as before.

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I haven't been able to run AT ALL for the last two years, but I'm still jumping. I have very bad arthritis and the Dr. says the only fix is an artificial knee. And I have not been able to run full speed for one hundred yards since high school. If you are running out your landings that hard you ought to upsize, unless you just like running!;)

"Here's a good specimen of my own wisdom. Something is so, except when it isn't so."

Charles Fort, commenting on the many contradictions of astronomy

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jumpsalot-2

With that said, how would you run out a medium speed landing or a downwinder ( short of being sure of a good sliding landing ). Things don't always come together the way we want during landings.




I slide. Also I up sized after my surgery.
"Here's a good specimen of my own wisdom. Something is so, except when it isn't so."

Charles Fort, commenting on the many contradictions of astronomy

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Thank you. I'm holding off until I just can't stand it. Not too terrible at the moment. Hurts more in the plane than landing.
"Here's a good specimen of my own wisdom. Something is so, except when it isn't so."

Charles Fort, commenting on the many contradictions of astronomy

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danornan

***With that said, how would you run out a medium speed landing or a downwinder ( short of being sure of a good sliding landing ). Things don't always come together the way we want during landings.



It was the repetitive motion of running that was frowned upon, not just a short run out. My surgery was 15 years ago and since then I've probably made 1,500 jumps or more without any discomfort. I did do a boot camp several years ago that involved too much running and had to stop because of the pain. Skydiving, no problem. Running no.


Is this with an artificial knee?
"Here's a good specimen of my own wisdom. Something is so, except when it isn't so."

Charles Fort, commenting on the many contradictions of astronomy

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No....... I have not had a knee replacement, yet. After crushing the top of the tib, (5 operations in about year to fix) I was told that I might need an artificial knee in about 5 years. It was strongly suggested that I not run. I swim a lot and ride a bike for therapy and so far, there is very little discomfort. Running was discouraged.
Dano

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I don't know where you jump but I know a LOT of jumpers with knee replacements, several with both including myself. As far as putting off the surgery till it gets worse, don't do it! I was so scared before my first one, back in 2000. 6 months later, when it was better than it had been in many years, I regretted waiting so long. When my Ortho said the second knee had to be done, I didn't hesitate, and it was no where as bad as the first one was when I had it done. Just MAKE SURE to do the PT and GET YOUR KNEE BACK after the surgery. A few months of hard work after the surgery and I got back full flex and more strength than it had in years.

BLUE SKIES and SOFT LANDINGS!! :)

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Folks I don't have an artificial knee, but 9 months ago a surgeon did a high tibial osteotomy (open wedge medial HTO) on my left knee.
Today the surgeon was all smiles where he palpitated my knee and watched me walk. Then he wrote a letter saying that I am officially no longer a cripple.
Yipeeee!


Copyright: If any lawyers want to quote this post, they must send me $100,000 per word.

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